Boxers from the restive Russian republic of Dagestan are being hailed as heroes after saving passengers from a burning tram, it's reported.

The athletes, in Khabarovsk for the Russian boxing championships, were jogging around the Arsenalets Palace of Sports when they spotted the burning tramcar, Russian television channel NTV reports.

The group helped break the tram's windows and hauled about 20 people to safety, an act for which they've received bravery awards from the local mayor.

Universal praise for the boxers' heroism has given Dagestan a much-needed boost to its public image, as it's more usually associated with organized crime, corruption, kidnapping, a violent Islamic insurgency and as the homeland of Boston bomb suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev.